High Court tells authorities to shift Delhi’s monkeys to Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary 

The Delhi High Court on Friday directed local authorities to shift all the monkeys of the Capital to the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary on priority.

A Bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, which was hearing a PIL plea moved by the NGO Dhananjay Sanjogta Foundation on the issue of stray dogs and monkeys attacking differently-abled people, said stray animals cannot be allowed to take over the city.

However, the court gave no direction about the relocation of stray dogs in the Capital.

The court also directed the Delhi Chief Secretary to convene a meeting on November 4, which should be attended by the heads of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Delhi Cantonment Board and the forest department, to devise a mechanism to deal with the issue.

It should also be attended by the secretary of the Animal Welfare Board of Delhi, the animal husbandry department of the Delhi government, the Animal Welfare Board of India, petitioners’ lawyers Rahul Bajaj and Amar Jain and activist Gauri Maulekhi, the court said.

“A society comprises various groups, including those suffering from various disabilities, and they have a genuine problem. This is a very important issue. Nowhere in the world will you find that the whole city is taken over by monkeys and dogs. That should not happen,” the court said.

“We will treat stray animals with respect but human beings also need to be treated with respect. Therefore, some mechanism has to be evolved. Persons with disabilities should also not be troubled by stray animals and people should be able to walk on the streets of the city,” the Bench said.

“With the consent of all parties, it is directed that the monkeys be shifted from Delhi to the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. It should be executed by the MCD, NDMC, Cantonment Board and forest department on a priority basis,” it added.

The court posted the case for further hearing on November 18.

The Tis Hazari court complex cannot be used after 4 pm as it is taken over by monkeys and these are institutions where people have to work and they are unable to perform their duties, the Bench said.

Published - October 26, 2024 01:07 am IST